527 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [388 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

WILLIAM WEMMS AND SEVEN OTHERS

The evil disposition and abusive behavior of many of the soldiers toward the citizens had created a tense atmosphere. Even the most peaceable among the citizens found it necessary to arm themselves with heavy walking sticks as weapons of defense when they went abroad. This explains the presence of sticks in the hands of many citizens, as had been stated, and it was nothing more than might have been expected on any other night.

To focus this affair to a single point of view, consider the account given of the affray at the ropewalks, which occurred at four or five different times a few days before. Three of the prisoners at the bar were present during some of these incidents, which began due to abuse from one of the soldiers. This abuse preceded the unseemly answer given by a workman, one of the citizens of the town. The testimony of Colonel H., a magistrate, and several others, indicates that the behavior of those soldiers was so riotous, barbarous, ungoverned, and ungovernable that it filled the minds of the inhabitants with alarming prospects. When added to their conduct on the unhappy evening, it would naturally give rise to all that transpired. There can be no doubt that the collection of people seen that night was occasioned by many different causes.

It is in evidence that it was a bright moonlight evening; the pleasantness of which, increased by a new-fallen snow, induced many people to be walking the streets. Hearing of the outrages committed by the soldiers, they stopped to see and inquire into the matter. Some of them might join those who had been abused and make preparations to defend themselves. Such were those who had been abused at the barracks and ran down to Dock Square, where they began to pull the legs from the butcher's stalls, as testified by some of the witnesses introduced by the counsel for the prisoners. Great numbers were also brought by the cry of fire and the ringing of bells, which, it appears, was repeated by the soldiers as well as by some of the inhabitants. Upon this, many came out of their houses with bags and buckets, as usual in case of fire, and as they collected, asked where the fire was located.